Door attachment



- March 4, 1930. G. w. ACKERMAN DOOR ATTACHMENT Filed June 1928 INVENTORGfwflokerman ATTOR IEY Patented Mar. 4, 1930 PATENT OFFICE GEORGE W.ACKERMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DOOR ATTACHMENT Application filed June 30,

The present invention is concerned with the provision of an improvedgrille, wicket, or peep-hole attachment for doors or the like of thecharacter in which a sight opening (usually cross-barred) is normallyclosed by a closure member, the latter being readily manually operablein order to permit applicame for entrance to be observed and conversedwith through the grating.

An object of the invention is to provide a grille of this type in whichthe restoration of the closure member to its normal closed position andthe latching thereof in closed posi tion are both gravitationallyeffected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grille member which maybe conveniently applied to a door or the like in com' pletely assembledcondition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grille which willpresent a neat and attractive appearance both at the outside and insideof a door, a grille in which the closure member may be convenientlymanipulated,

' and a device of simple, practical construction, 25 which will berugged, durable and efficient in use, and well suited to therequirements of economical manufacture.

With the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consistsin certain novel features of construction and combinations andarrangements of arts as will be more fully hereinafter set orth andpointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully understoodfrom the following description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is an elevational view showmg the grille asit'appears from the outside of a oor.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the grllle as it appears from theinside of the door, the dotted lines indicating the position assumed bythe closure plate when the latter is swung to open position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View through the closure plate.

In the drawings I have used the reference numeral to designate a door orother member upon which the grille is to be mounted, a circular opening11 is cut in the door 50 and the grille frame 12 with the closure plate1928. Serial No. 289,351.

13 attached thereto is inserted into the opening from the outside of thedoor. The frame 12 may frictionally fit the opening or the decorativeframe flange 14. may be riveted or otherwise secured as at 15 to thedoor. These pivots in the present instance, lie flush with the innersurface of the door. The particular form of the invention illustrated isof course intended for use on the relatively thin sheet metal fireproofdoors which are commonly so used in apartment houses. Where thickerdoors, such for instance as Wooden doors are employed, the frame member12 would be of greater thickness.

It will be noted that the frame member is in 65 the nature of asubstantially annular ring, the body of which fits the opening 11, thedecorative flange 14 of which overlies the outer face of the door, andthe center of which is cross barred as at 16.

Integral with the ring 12 is an inwardly presented shoulder 17 extendingpreferably throughout more than half of the circumference of the ring.The inner face of this shoulder is tapered as at 18 throughout a ortionof its length, providin a step or aliutment at 18 for a purpose w llChwill be later described.

The closure member 13 is in the nature of a disc swivelled by a screw orequivalent device 25 to the ring 12 closely adj acent one end of theshoulder 17. The closure plate throughout a small portion of itscircumference is provided with an inwardly extending shoulder orperipheral rib 19 which complements the shoulder 17 so that with theplate in the closed position of Fig. 2, the shoulders 17 and 19 willcooperatively define a substantially circular flange which forms adecorative frame for the closure plate.

To open the closure plate 13, its handle 20 1s grasped and the plateswivelled to the right about the screw 18. When the plate reaches thedotted line position of Fig. 2, the shoulders 19 and 17 will abut,limiting further movement of the plate and consequently so positioningthe plate that its center of gravity is to the right of the swivel 25and the plate will gravitationally dro to closed position when released.As the p ate swings to closed lies in a groove 21 formed in the shoulder17.

The handle member 20 also serves as a gravity operated latch whichprevents openmg of the closure plate from the outside of the door. Latch20 is in the nature of an armor bar pivoted between a pair of ears 22secured to the inner face of the closure plate.

A handle knob 23 is secured to the free end of the bar 20 and a pin 24arranged under the bar limits its swinging movement toward the closureplate and serves to prevent \the bar from catching on the upper end ofthe cam shoulder 18 as the closure plate moves gravitationally towardclosed position.

As the plate 13 moves from the dotted line to the full line position ofFig. 2, the

bar 20 rides over the cam shoulder 18 and drops behind the stop shoulder19, whereby swivelling movement of the plate to the right is preventeduntil such time as the bar 20 1s manually lifted. By virtue of thisarrangement I provide a substantially draft-proof structure in which theclosure plate is not only automatically gravitationally returned toclosed position, but is automatically latched in such position.

Obviously, Various changes and alterations might be made in the general.form and arrangement of the parts described wlthout departing from theinvention. Hence I do not wish. to limit myself to the details setforth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes andalterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A door grille including an open cross barred frame adapted to besecured in an opening in a door, and a closure plate swivelly connectedto the inner face of said frame, a handle for operating the plate, andstop means coacting with the plate to prevent opening movement thereofbeyond a position where it is gravitationally returnable, said stopmeans comprising complemental arcuate ribs on the interior of the frameand closure plate.

2. A door grille including an open cross barred frame adapted to besecured in an opening in a door, and a closure plate swivelly connectedto the inner face of said frame, a handle for operating the plate, andstop means coacting with the fplate to prevent opening movement thereobeyond a position where it is gravitationally returnable, said stopmeans comprising complemental arcuate ribs on the interior of the frameand closure plate, the frame rib being internally grooved to receive theunribbed edge portion of the closure plate.

3. A door grille including an open cross barred frame adapted to besecured in an opening in a door, and a closure plate swivelly connectedto the inner face of said frame, a handle for operating the late, andstop means coacting with the p ate to prevent openingmovement thereofbeyond a position where it is gravitationally returnable, said stopmeans comprising complemental arcuate ribs on the interior of the frameand closure plate, the frame rib being internally grooved'to receive theunribbed edge portion of the closure plate, and a latch bar pivoted tothe closure plate and the frame rib being stepped to engage the latchbar and prevent 1s)wivelling of theplate without lifting the 4. A doorgrille including an open cross barred frame adapted to be secured in anopening in a door, and a closureplate swivelly connected to the innerface of said frame, a handle foroperating the plate, and stop meanscoacting with the plate to prevent opening movement thereof beyond aposition where it is gravitationally returnable, said stop meanscomprising complemental arcuate ribs on the interior of the frame andclosure plate, the frame ribv being internally grooved to receive theunribbed edge portion of the closure plate, said rib also including acam surface adjacent the step on which the latch bar rides into latchedposition as the plate moves to closed position.

5. A device as set forth in' claim 4, wherein means is provided forspacing the free end of the latch bar from the closure plate.

6. A door attachment of the class described including a frame ringadapted to be-secured at an opening in a door or the,

like, a manually operable gravitationally closing closure plateswivellyconnected to the inner face of the ring, and a gravity latchpivoted on theplate and engageable with the ring when the plate isclosed.

7. A grille including a cross barred frame ring adapted to be secured.in an opening in a dooror the like, a manually operable gravitationallyclosing closure plate swivelly connected to the inner face of the ring,and a gravity latch pivoted on the plate and engageable with the ringwhen the plate is closed, the keeper means for said latch comprising astep formed on an arcuate rib projecting inwardly from the closureplate, said I rib including a cam surface over which the latch rides asthe plate moves toward closed position.

8. A door attachment of the class described, including a frame ringadapted to be secured at an opening in a door or the like, a manuallyoperable gravitationally closing closure plate swivelly connected to theinner face ofthe ring and a gravity latch pivoted on the plate andengageable with the ring when the plate is closed, means to limit theopening movement of the plate beyond a point where the plate isautomatically gravitationally returnable to closed position. 9. A doorattachment of the class described, including a frame ring adapted to besecured at an opening in a door or the like, a manually operablegravitationally closing closure plate swivelly connected to the innerface of the ring and a gravity latch pivoted on the plate and engageablewith the ring when the plate is closed, said closure plate being pivotedeccentrically of the vertical axis of the ring and stop means ooactingwith the plate to prevent opening thereof 5 beyond a position where thecenter of gravity of the plate is so disposed as to effect automaticgravity closing of the plate.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this27th day of June, A. D. 1928.

GEORGE W. ACKERMAN.

